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Abimelech, a man of Issachar, Tola son of Puah, son of Dodo, arose to deliver Israel. He lived at Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 He judged Israel twenty-three years; then he died, and was buried at Shamir.
3 After him came Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years. 4 He had thrity sons who rode on thirty donkeys. They had thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which are called Havvoth-jair to this day. 5 Jair died and was buried in Kamon.
6 Then the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. They abandoned the Lord, and did not serve Him. 7 So the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the Ammonites, 8 and that year they crushed and oppressed the Israelites. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites in Gilead. 9 The Ammonites also crossed over the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim. Israel was greatly distressed.
10 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, “We have sinned against You, for we have forsaken our God and served the Baals.”
11 The Lord said to the Israelites, “When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, 12 Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, did I not deliver you out of their hands? 13 Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore, I will not rescue you anymore. 14 Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen. Let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation!”
15 But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do to us whatever seems good to you; only deliver us this day.” 16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord. And His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
17 The Ammonites assembled together, and they camped in Gilead. So the Israelites gathered together, and they camped at Mizpah. 18 The leaders of the people of Gilead said to one another, “Which man will lead the fight against the Ammonites? He will be made the leader of all of the people of Gilead.”